I live in Dublin, Ireland. it’s relatively car-centric especially by european standards although the municipality recently announced that by 2028 they want to curb through traffic in the city centre. Their goal is to remove 2 out of 3 private cars from the city centre that do not have a destination there. This is brilliant for young people here who are sick of cars everywhere and struggle due to a lack of places in the city to just hang out and enjoy their time. It’s quite interesting what’s happening here and maybe worth a look at ☺️
Yes! I am long overdue for an Active Towns Study Tour Trip to Ireland... hmmm, maybe this summer after the Velo-city Conference. Thanks so much for watching and for this helpful reminder. Cheers! John
@@ActiveTowns By California standards it was only a little red and still a viable "greenish". We look both ways before crossing a one way sidewalk in case a car is coming.
They say Netherland has an unfair advantage for bicycling because they have those narrow streets. But we used to have streets like that everywhere before we bulldozed them to make the cars happy. It's a self-inflicted wound. Although some of these streets highlight why I like a bike where I can reach the ground from the saddle. I'm getting too old to be climbing up and down every time I need to stop for traffic.
as a German I'd say, it's sometimes even the opposite: The main roads (where the bike lanes are) are often much wider, which only makes it possible to have a buffer between the car lanes and the bike lane.
Thank you for all your videos of your period in the Netherlands (2 years ago ;o) ). Hope you'll be able to return soon, if you so desire. All the best for our new year 2024.
when I was in Netherlands during kings day I witness 3 people on a bike. one on the front rack, the back rack and the driver. have you ever witnessed that?
The bricks rather than red asphalt chosen for Vijzelstraat was quite controversial among the cycling community. The reasoning for the part on Rokin and Damrak that had it done years earlier was "to complement the historic cityscape" but for this street that is much less of a valid excuse. The city government then made a new document specifying further when and when not to use bricks rather than asphalt. They seem to be under the impression that using red asphalt for cycle lanes with brick pavers for the general traffic lanes is somehow not an option, eventhough many cities are already doing that and it doesn't look cluttered at all. The black asphalt for the tram is relatively a new thing, done for ease of maintenance and longevity of the tram lanes, which embedding tram tracks into brick pavers or granite pavers aparently isn't. Many people don't like to see the black swathes of asphalt from a visual point. But meanwhile in some other projects they are again embedding the tracks into pavers here and there where they first said that it should be avoided. So it's not quite consistent.
@ 7:20 you decided to go right, which was a odd choice. Not only are you about to enter the tourists area of the red light district, by going straight forward you would have taken the shortest route to the station, past the Dam, with the palace and the war monument. But instead you opted for more tourists, worse roads and far bumpier old streets...
Yeah, I wasn't in any particular hurry, and I am a sucker for super narrow streets that I haven't explored before. hehe 🤣 Thanks for joining me on my wanderings. Happy New Year... Cheers! John
Yeah, that's the plan... this past trip included new cities (for me) including Nijmegen, 's-Hertogenbosch, and Zwolle... I've been to Groningen before in 2015 but need to check in on the some enhancements the city has been working on. Cheers!
It would be nice if you went to Maastricht. You could then take a short trip to Belgium. But also to the city of Vaals, the highest point in the Netherlands. Wherever the three-country point (with viewing tower) is; Netherlands/Belgium/Germany. In the lower half of that province (Limburg) it is a "non-Dutch" landscape, with hills. You could then show that you can also cycle very well in a non-flat polder landscape. Perhaps it would be better not to do that with a Brompton bike. Bicycles with gears can easily be rented, for example in Maastricht. From Vaals you could also take a trip to the city of Aachen just across the border in Germany. A historically important city in Europe (because of Emperor Charlemagne). From Aachen you can cycle back to the Netherlands to the city of Heerlen (with the largest Roman (BC) bathhouse in the Netherlands) and visit the medieval Hoensbroek castle. You can also take the train from Aachen to Heerlen and then by train to Maastricht or by intercity train to the north of the Netherlands.
Wow, the light really catches those buildings just right.
Yeah, I really tried to take advantage of this good lighting when I could. 😀
Thank you for taking me around the city! Such a beautiful city.
You are quite welcome. Thanks for watching; I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Cheers! John
I live in Dublin, Ireland. it’s relatively car-centric especially by european standards although the municipality recently announced that by 2028 they want to curb through traffic in the city centre. Their goal is to remove 2 out of 3 private cars from the city centre that do not have a destination there. This is brilliant for young people here who are sick of cars everywhere and struggle due to a lack of places in the city to just hang out and enjoy their time. It’s quite interesting what’s happening here and maybe worth a look at ☺️
Yes! I am long overdue for an Active Towns Study Tour Trip to Ireland... hmmm, maybe this summer after the Velo-city Conference. Thanks so much for watching and for this helpful reminder. Cheers! John
You integrated well here, running a red light at 2:47 :)
I try to blend in. hehe 😂 😇 Thanks for watching. Cheers! John
@@ActiveTowns
By California standards it was only a little red and still a viable "greenish".
We look both ways before crossing a one way sidewalk in case a car is coming.
They say Netherland has an unfair advantage for bicycling because they have those narrow streets. But we used to have streets like that everywhere before we bulldozed them to make the cars happy.
It's a self-inflicted wound.
Although some of these streets highlight why I like a bike where I can reach the ground from the saddle. I'm getting too old to be climbing up and down every time I need to stop for traffic.
Yep, we did it to ourselves... and Amsterdam was on that path as well before many in their communities revolted and put a stop to the destruction.
as a German I'd say, it's sometimes even the opposite: The main roads (where the bike lanes are) are often much wider, which only makes it possible to have a buffer between the car lanes and the bike lane.
Thank you for all your videos of your period in the Netherlands (2 years ago ;o) ). Hope you'll be able to return soon, if you so desire. All the best for our new year 2024.
So happy you enjoyed 'em. Yeah, I should be able to visit in 2024 after I attend the Velo-city Conference in Ghent in June. Happy New Year!
@@ActiveTowns Happy New Year! Ghent itself is a beautiful city, so be sure to enjoy that first!
@@KeesBoons I definitely will. 😀
when I was in Netherlands during kings day I witness 3 people on a bike. one on the front rack, the back rack and the driver. have you ever witnessed that?
Its a pretty standard mode of transportation after a certain amount of alcohol is consumed by all three participants.
Not that spectacular. Especially on students' night out you'll see this a lot.
Yeah, for sure. Bikes are the ultimate efficient mobility devices. Cheers!
The bricks rather than red asphalt chosen for Vijzelstraat was quite controversial among the cycling community. The reasoning for the part on Rokin and Damrak that had it done years earlier was "to complement the historic cityscape" but for this street that is much less of a valid excuse. The city government then made a new document specifying further when and when not to use bricks rather than asphalt. They seem to be under the impression that using red asphalt for cycle lanes with brick pavers for the general traffic lanes is somehow not an option, eventhough many cities are already doing that and it doesn't look cluttered at all. The black asphalt for the tram is relatively a new thing, done for ease of maintenance and longevity of the tram lanes, which embedding tram tracks into brick pavers or granite pavers aparently isn't. Many people don't like to see the black swathes of asphalt from a visual point. But meanwhile in some other projects they are again embedding the tracks into pavers here and there where they first said that it should be avoided. So it's not quite consistent.
Interesting... Thanks for watching!
@ 7:20 you decided to go right, which was a odd choice. Not only are you about to enter the tourists area of the red light district, by going straight forward you would have taken the shortest route to the station, past the Dam, with the palace and the war monument. But instead you opted for more tourists, worse roads and far bumpier old streets...
Yeah, I wasn't in any particular hurry, and I am a sucker for super narrow streets that I haven't explored before. hehe 🤣 Thanks for joining me on my wanderings. Happy New Year... Cheers! John
When you come back, then go to another part of The Netherlands. See how it is in Groningen or Maastricht.
Yeah, that's the plan... this past trip included new cities (for me) including Nijmegen, 's-Hertogenbosch, and Zwolle... I've been to Groningen before in 2015 but need to check in on the some enhancements the city has been working on. Cheers!
It would be nice if you went to Maastricht. You could then take a short trip to Belgium. But also to the city of Vaals, the highest point in the Netherlands. Wherever the three-country point (with viewing tower) is; Netherlands/Belgium/Germany. In the lower half of that province (Limburg) it is a "non-Dutch" landscape, with hills. You could then show that you can also cycle very well in a non-flat polder landscape. Perhaps it would be better not to do that with a Brompton bike. Bicycles with gears can easily be rented, for example in Maastricht. From Vaals you could also take a trip to the city of Aachen just across the border in Germany. A historically important city in Europe (because of Emperor Charlemagne). From Aachen you can cycle back to the Netherlands to the city of Heerlen (with the largest Roman (BC) bathhouse in the Netherlands) and visit the medieval Hoensbroek castle. You can also take the train from Aachen to Heerlen and then by train to Maastricht or by intercity train to the north of the Netherlands.